The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to leave the discount rate unchanged at 14 percent on December 8th, amid the need to mitigate inflation risks and to meet the inflation targets for 2017-2018 (8 percent+/-2 pp and 6 percent+/-2pp respectively). Also, the board has taken into account the need to buffer the effects from a sharp rise in the minimum wage in 2017 exchange rate, and high likelihood that there will be further delays to disbursements of official financing due to the slow pace of implementation of program measures. Should the risks for price stability abate, the bank will continue easing monetary policy next year as this move will help reduce borrowing costs and support economic growth.

Standard & Poor's credit rating for Ukraine stands at B- with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for Ukraine was last set at Caa3 with stable outlook. Fitch's credit rating for Ukraine was last reported at B- with stable outlook.

The jobless rate in Ukraine decreased to 9.3 percent in the second quarter of 2016 from 10.3 percent in the previous period. It was the lowest rate since the second quarter of 2014, as the number of unemployed people declined by 153.6 thousand to 1,613.3 thousand and employed rose by 309.8 thousand to 15,737.8 thousand. The economic activity rate increased to 71.3 percent from 70.6 percent in the previous quarter.

Ukraine's economy expanded 1.8 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2016, following a 1.4 percent growth in the previous period. It was the third consecutive quarter of expansion and the highest reading since the fourth quarter of 2013, preliminary estimates showed. On a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, the GDP advanced 0.4 percent after increasing by 0.6 percent in the precedent period.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Ukraine was last recorded at 7449.77 US dollars in 2015, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Ukraine, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 42 percent of the world's average.